Keepers are:

Morrison Cheyenne - foam core recurve limbs
Zipper SXT with Evolution foam/carbon recurve limbs
Zipper Nitro LB - foam core/carbon limbs
Tall Tines recurve
Black Canyon  recurve

I have had hundreds of custom bows I purchased used over the Internet and just about every make trying to find the perfect bow for me.

The only new bows I ever ordered were:

Tonkin Big Horn (Ron Maulding) Longbow

Black Widow MA

Howard Hill Wesley

Jack Harrison

Rivers Edge

Sovereign Ballistik

I ordered one other new bow and hated it so much I returned it and paid a $200 restocking fee. I have never done that with any other bow - new or used. Rather than sell it I did the restocking because I can't be dishonest and if someone asked me why I was selling or what I thought about the bow I could have never sold it.

These bows were all keepers but now the only bows I keep are Jack Harrison, Howard Hill and Ron Maulding. I also have a custom 67.5 Bear Super Kodiak. It is my only recurve. All my other bows are longbows.

I have found that after testing over 300 bows in 3 or 4 years, that they are all nice and are close in performance. Any of them with the exception of one could have been considered
a keeper. It is all personal preference.

Out of all of the bows I have shot (recurves or longbows) I have one Jack Harrison El Lobo longbow that he made for himself. This bow is special and the smoothest drawing bow with the least amount of hand shock I have ever shot. It is a good performer too. I wouldn't sell that bow for any price. It is my daily shooter and hunter. I also have a Schulz made Howard Hill Tembo that is a special Hill bow I shoot.

Gil

QuoteOriginally posted by Pokerdaddy:
At Compton this weekend I ordered my very first custom bow, and it's funny that I should follow Hermon here...

I ordered a Wild Horse Creek Kestrel, 58" 53@28.  Myrtle veneers over Red Elm limbs, Myrtle and Wenge riser, beavertail over locator grip.

I had come across Mike's work here on TG some time ago, liked what I saw and started doing a little research.  Liking all the great things I was hearing I headed to Compton with the intent of shooting and trying out Mike's bows.

Am I glad I did!

I'll be sure to post pics in roughly four months...the wait begins!

Oh, and I did buy a new in-stock bow from our very own Big Jim to hold me over.  Thunderchild 56" 50@28.  Sweet shooter.

Look forward to seeing pictures of the WHC!  Great bows and bowyer!

62" Kentuckian recurve,60" Palo Duro recurve, 62" Treadway longbow, 60" Bushmen longbow,62" Big Jim longbow, 64" Robertson Purist longbow (the best), 62" Great Northern Bushbow (very nice)... so many longbows and so very little time !

Favorite customs:
Pronghorn
Shrew CH
Kota recurve
I could live happily ever after with any one of them.  They are all in the 51 to 55 lb range. There must be something wrong with me, as I don't feel any need to try anything else. Well, maybe a 3 piece Pronghorn...

I have only had 2 custom bows and they are both Tomahawks. They are both still with me.

My Morrisons for sure!

My keeper list:
7 Lakes Long Night
7 Lakes Short Night
The blank I finished from 7 Lakes.

Next in order:
Pronghorn
Robertson Styckbow
Howard Hill Big Five

I've traded away or sold all the others.

Hoyt
Chek-mate
Centaur
BigJim
Thunderstick
Beeler
BlackWidow
Whisperstick


Bought and sold a bunch of each and still selling a few. Will always keep :
Chek-mate recurve
Thunderstick MOAB

I've only had 2 custom bows over the years...one Halcomb takedown recurve and one Great Northern Critter Gitter.  The Halcomb takedown hangs on my dad's wall now and I'll get it back one day.  The Critter Gitter I just bought a year and a half ago and I plan on keeping it a long, long time.  Especially now that Jerry isn't making the Critter Gitter model anymore.

I've had several customs over the years but have only hung on to one...my Silvertp! It's not going anywhere! I have a Kanati coming in a couple month's, hopefully it will be a keeper too!

Jason

Started with ACS A&H, right and left hand 3pc, three sets of limbs, one given to my grand son.

Black Widow greybark,

Archery Traditions given to my son in law,

Stalker long bow,
shoot the ACS almost all the time.

Would like to try some more and looking for an anbidextrous riser bow.

2- BW pch 56' and whisperstyck 58' love both but always go to Widow in the end.

I've owned the following bows:

Robertson Primal Styk
Toelke Whip and Super D
Howard Hill Big Five
Hummingbird 20th anniversary longbow
Great Northern Critter Gitter and Super Ghost
Wes Wallace Mentor and  Royal
Cari-bow Peregrine
Leon Stewart take-down Slammer
RER Vortex II
Wild Horse Creek Vision
Mohawk Sparrowhawk
Jim Curlee Longbow
Whisperstik Mojostik
Frederick Longbow
Liberty Contender
McCullough Tsunami and Griffin

I've sold most of these bows.  The only bow I have purchased new is the Sparrowhawk, but I do have a Whippenstick Phoenix and Whipplash on order and an LS Slammer on order.

My favorite longbows are my Caribow Peregrine and Wild Horse Creek Vision.  Leon Stewart's take down slammer is also an amazing bow.

I generally prefer longbows, but I haven't been able to part with my Wes Wallace Mentor.  That is one smooth bow that really slings the arrows, and it's beautiful.

About 70+ as best I can estimate, along with quite a few "production" bows....waaaaaay too many to list, currently have about 18. Mostly just shoot Hill style longbows now, but still hang on to one recurve and 3-4 hybrids.  What I have learned over the years with all these bows is that there really is very little difference in any of the good longbows.  I have had several of what would be regarded as among the best, not all but lots, and they all are very close in shooting characteristics. Because of that I have a hard time any more convincing myself to buy more though there are still some out there I would like to own, but I know already that when they would come I would find they shoot like the rest of them I have.  I'm trying to be happy with the great bows I have.  Been doing fairly well the past few months. I'm like the guy who once told me he could stop smoking any time he wanted to, no problem--had done it a thousand times,  

I could never name them all, when this site started I startedbuying and trading heavy duty for about 5 years. I have owned bows from at least 75 different bowyers and over 150 bows. I have a few I like. RER, Border, Jack Kempf and Robertson. Keepers none are for sure keepers!!        Shawn

Texas recurves Comanche 9 of them.

Texas longbows Apache 3 of them.

Best bows and best craftsmanship until CNC came along and prices skyrocketed for a custom made bow!!!!!!

Have owned Schafers, Hills, Morrisons, Widows, Robertsons. All very fine bows.

Journeyman XR
TwoTracks Ambush
Voodoo Kustom
McCoulough 59'er
Blacktail VL
Caribow Taiga
Ed Scott OWL
Bob Lee Hunter

the favourites are-
S-Tip TD RC
S-Tip 1pc RC
Morrison wood riser HEX6 limbs
Have a 1pc S-Tip LB coming that should be ready any day (getting a bit excited)

To many to list, You could probably go through more than three quarters of the bowyers on this site and I've probably owned at least one of there bows. I know I have owned at least 15 Widows and 12 Shrews 4 Centaurs 11 Leon Stewart Longbows It is really disturbing to start thinking about it!
Schafer Recurves seem to be where I keep ending up.

I have had many, an now just one.bows are like women when you find the perfect one ya keep her. that bow for me is THE SCHAFFER SILVERTIP. It dont get no better.